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Lili interviewed several inmates, four of which were only diagnosed with mental illnesses when they were arrested.

She said: “The four men I spoke to were non-violent offenders who suffered from mild to moderate mental illness that most likely led to self-medication with illegal drugs or alcohol.

“The social workers at the jail told me this is extremely common among inmates.

“People suffer from an undiagnosed mental illness, often because there is little access to care and there is major stigma around mental illness. This often leads to self-medication with street drugs which often leads to jail.”

Inmates are screened for mental illness by social workers every day as they arrive after being arrested

She recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to turn the project into a book to be published by Powerhouse next year, titled “Cook County Jail: Mental Illness Behind Bars”.

Lili added: “Cook County is making a major effort to help mentally ill inmates once they're in custody but many social workers point out that jail is a terrible place, especially for the mentally ill.”

The four men Lili interviewed were non-violent offenders who suffered from mild to moderate mental illness

She continued: “This can often lead to inmates' mental health deteriorating behind bars, behavioural issues get worse, which can lead to punishment by isolation which can lead to further mental deterioration.

“I was so impressed with the work that Cook County Jail is doing to help its mentally ill inmates. My understanding is, they're the exception, not the norm.

“Every person I met there from doctors, to corrections officers, to the program directors were absolutely dedicated to helping the mentally ill that landed in jail.”

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